


Kept Promises

by stellarparallax



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, Period-Typical Racism, Pre-Series, Racism, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 07:45:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12577024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarparallax/pseuds/stellarparallax
Summary: Miles may have narrowly escaped the atrocities of the Ishvalan war, but that didn't mean that he went completely unharmed. Prejudice against Ishvalans had always been rampant, even from when he was a child. It isn't until he meets an Amestrian that refuses to follow the lead of her parents that he starts to have hope that the situation could change.





	Kept Promises

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution for Livmiles Week 2017 for the theme: Past/Future. For more Livmiles goodness, hop over to [@livmilesweek](https://livmilesweek.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Note: Livmiles Week will take place on 20-25 November. I'm posting early because I may not have time to post then.

“Good morning, sir. I’m Miles. I’ve been posted here straight out of the academy.”

“Ah, Major Miles. We’ve been expecting you,” said Buccaneer without looking up from the stack of paperwork on his desk, “You’ll be working under the Major General.”

“May I know his name?”

“Her.”

“Okay, may I know her name?”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll call her Sir.”

Miles eyebrows knitted in response to Buccaneer’s statement, not understanding how it answered his question in any way. He wanted to articulate just as much, but he caught and reminded himself that he wasn’t there to pick a fight. He was there to serve the Major General.

“Alright,” he conceded.

Buccaneer pushed out the chair he was sitting on and got up, making Miles hyper-aware of how he had a looming intimidating presence even though he wasn’t that much taller than Miles. Miles swallowed nervously, hoping that it didn’t show on his face. He didn’t want to be known around the fort as the new guy who fainted at the sight of another soldier. It wouldn’t do too well for his reputation, as if he had needed more reasons to be discriminated against.

“I’ll take you to her office,” Buccaneer said as he pulled his uniform shirt off the hanger that was on the handle of the metal cabinet behind him, “You should probably get acquainted before you inevitably get thrown into battle with her. She’s quite the character.”

Miles nodded and remained silent as he watched Buccaneer button up his uniform shirt and pull at the edges to make sure that he looked presentable. He ran his left hand over his head to push down any stray hairs, probably out of habit since the little hair he had had already been pulled into a tight braid that went down to halfway down his back. When he was done, he looked Miles up and down before deciding that he too looked presentable.

He stepped out from behind his desk and walked around Miles to get to the door to his office. He opened it, ushering in the chilling silence of the hallways that Miles would later find out were frequently empty.

“Ready, Major?”

The only sounds that were heard in the walk to the Major General’s office were the sounds of their boots clapping against the tiled floor and the mechanical whirring of Buccaneer’s automail as he swung it alternate to his left arm. Miles felt his anxiety grow inside of him, worried that the Major General may not accept him for the blood-red hue of his irises. When he was first recruited, his commanding officers had reassured him over and over again that it wouldn’t be an issue, but he was sceptical. All of that had happened prior to the Ishvalan Civil War and he wasn’t confident that they would be as accepting of him if he were still at the academy then.

When they arrived at the door to her office, Miles read “Olivier Mira Armstrong” off the nameplate. Without taking his eyes off it, he wondered why that name sounded so familiar to him.

 

* * *

 

Olivier was curled up in the hole in a hedge that she should have told her parents about, but didn’t. If she told them, they’d have instructed the gardeners to cover it up. She didn’t want that. It was a safe spot for her to retreat to when the world seemed too much for her. As a six year old, that was frequently the case. Her younger brother, Alex had just turned one month old and the entire household had been kept busy doting on the bundle of joy. As the eldest daughter of the Armstrong family, she had grown used to not being the centre of attention since she’s had to grow up with two younger sisters, but this time things were different. Alex wasn’t just a daughter like the rest of them, he was a son.

She perked up when she heard an audible gasp coming from behind her. She didn’t realise that she was visible from outside the estate. She turned around to see who it was from.

He had darker skin than her, and white-grey hair. She almost gasped herself when she realised how cute he was. Then her eyes locked onto his and she immediately recognised the characteristic red eyes. He was Ishvalan.

“Are… Are you a princess?” he said.

A shiver went down her tiny legs and it took everything within her to stay calm. Her parents made sure she knew all the horror stories about the barbaric Ishvalans. At the same time, she couldn’t find it in her to run away. The boy was tiny, even smaller than her. He couldn’t have been older than seven.

“I am a descendent of the great Armstrong family. We are a noble family that has had many members serving in high ranking positions in the military. Had the military not seized power in the government, we would have been monarchs.”

Miles blinked twice, clearly not understanding a word that she said.

“So to answer your question; no, I’m not a princess.”

“Are you sure? Princess are pretty and you are… Very pretty.”

Olivier felt a blush creep across her face, warming her ears as well. Where her parents lacked in giving her their undivided attention, they made up to her twice over with the most flattering praise of her appearance. She had grown used to it, but still his comment caught her off-guard.

“My name is Miles,” he said finally, “What’s yours?

“Olivier.”

“Liver?”

“Olivier.”

“Livicar?”

“N-n-no. Why don’t you just call me Liv?”

“Okay.”

“What’s your name, again?”

“Miles.”

 

* * *

 

Buccaneer planted three heavy, evenly spaced knocks on the door to the Major General’s office. After a moment of silence that felt like an eternity to Miles, there was finally a harsh voice that barked through the walls.

“Come in.”

Buccaneer turned to face Miles and pursed his lips and widened his eyes into an awkward, nervous smile. Miles’s eyes darted around as he bit his lip.

“Good luck, Major,” he said before clapping him on the back and taking his leave.

Miles approached the door tentatively and slowly brought his hand to the handle. As he turned it, he heard a slow, drawn-out creak, then finally a click. Then, he pushed the door open.

“Did you forget how to open a… Who are you?” the Major General looked up from the binder that she had been studying, her eyes narrowed as she examined Miles.

“I’m your new adjutant reporting for duty, Sir!”

The Major General stood up and slowly walked a circle around Miles, scrutinising his form as she did. Finally, when she seemed satisfied with what she saw, she took her place in front of him and brushed back her long blonde fringe.

“At ease, Major. You’re Ishvalan.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No, no, that wasn’t a question. I  don’t know what you’ve heard about how I run things over here, but I assure you that not only is that not an issue, I see it as an advantage.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why is that?”

“There’s a lot that I don’t understand. I can’t be a leader if I refuse to listen to people who know better than I do.”

Satisfied with her answer, Miles only nodded curtly.

“What is your name, Major?”

 

* * *

 

“Liv, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Miles said, his head poking through the hedge.

“It’s nothing, Miles. Please, go home.”

“It’s not nothing if it makes you cry! You’re the strongest person I know and you never cry!”

“Miles, please just drop it. I’ll be okay in a minute.”

Miles didn’t drop it. Instead, he kneeled down next to Olivier’s curled up little body and put his arms around her. At ten, he was still quite a bit smaller than her so his arms didn’t reach around her, but he squeezed as tightly as he could. He thought that it would make Olivier feel better, but it only made her cry more.

 _“They say the eyes are the window to the soul and his only betrays the violent ways that he’s been born with,”_ her father’s voice echoed in her mind.

“I’m sorry, Miles. I’m just so sorry.”

“For what?” he looked at her with his large red eyes, “What happened?”

“I’m sorry I can’t protect you from this cruel world, Miles. I wish I could, but I can’t. There are going to be very bad people who don’t like people like you. They are bullies, but worse. I promise that when I’m bigger, I won’t be like that.”

‘It’s not your fault,” he mumbled, then kissed her tear-stained cheek, “I know you won’t be like that because you’re kind and I love you.”

“What… What are you doing?”

Olivier froze, knowing exactly whose voice that was.

“Get your barbaric hands off my daughter. You take your filth elsewhere, you hear me?”

“Daddy, no!”

“Be quiet, Olivier. I think I’ve tolerated this long enough,” he removed a revolver from his holster and aimed it at Miles’s head, “Leave now, and never set foot on my property again.”

“RUN, MILES!” Olivier screamed.

 

* * *

 

“Miles.”

“Miles,” the Major General said like a prayer, “Did you live in Amestris before?”

“I did, until Ishvalans started getting sytemically discriminated against. Then, my family moved to the country.”

The Major General looked directly at him through her deep blue eyes that were turning glassy. With a trembling hand, she went against all the protocol that had been drilled into her head since she joined the academy and reached out to stroke his cheek.

“Miles, do you remember me? It’s Liv.”

“The princess,” he gasped.

“I’m not a-,” she protested before bursting into a mixture of tears and laughter.

“Can I hug you?” he whispered.

“You better.”

As their bodies clashed into each other, a wave of undescribable euphoria washed over them. Olivier clung onto the body that was once tiny and scrawny, the same body that was pulling her in closer and closer until the only thing keeping them from being a single entity was the thick layers of uniform between them.

“You kept your promise,” he muttered as he buried his face into her hair.

“I did.”

**Author's Note:**

> This childhood friends AU has been a brainchild of mine for a few months now and I've finally found the time and motivation to write it. I'm glad to finally have this done. I really hope you like it!
> 
> I'd love to know what you think of this AU and my writing. Please leave comments! Also, please leave kudos if you liked it. I live on lattes and validation.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! <3


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